The first library in Townsend was founded in 1858 when 100 citizens gave three dollars each to start a private agricultural library. In 1873, at the request of the patrons and shareholders, the town took over running the library, appropriating $100 annually for its support. Subscribers to the library were also taxed fifty cents a year to help maintain and stock the library. In 1882 it became a truly “free” and public library, however, it wasn’t until 1914 that patrons were allowed to browse the collection on their own.

The original library, consisting mainly of agricultural books and reports from the Massachusetts Agricultural College in Amherst, led a “nomadic existence” in its early years, being housed in private homes, stores and even the Squannacook Fire House No. 1. Plans for the new Memorial Hall in 1894 included a Town Library room with a discrete entrance.

As a result of bequests from Charles B. Hart and Amanda E. Dwight, a Georgian-style brick building was designed by Charles Loring and built on the banks of the Squannacook River on land purchased by the town in 1927. The book collection was moved from Memorial Hall on February 27, 1929, and the Hart Free Library was opened to the public on March 2, 1929. The official dedication was held on October 30th of that year.

In 2007, on behalf of his company and its employees, Albert Stone, Chairman of the Sterilite Corporation, generously gifted the town funds to build a new, fully furnished building to house the Townsend Public Library. At Stone’s request, the building is named after Richard and Irene Collette, both of whom served the town in many capacities.

Photo courtesy of the Town of Townsend